Optical system



July 13, 1943. H. E. GOLDBERG OPTICAL SYSQTEM Filed Sept. 13, 1941 3 Sheets-Sheet l SIIIII IIIIII HERBERT E.GDLDBERG INVENTOR ATTORNEY,

July 13, 1943. H. E. GOLDBERG OPTICAL SYSTEM Filed Sept. 15, 1941 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 HEB.

HERBERT E.BEILDBEHE INVENTOR ATTORNEY Patented July 13, 1943 Herbert E. Goldberg, Qociiester, N. Y:, assignor to Eastman Kodak Company, Rochester, N. Y., a corporation of Newilel'ley Application September 1:, 1941, Serial No. 919,757"

' 9 Claims. (or 88-24) This invention relates to optical systems and particularly to optical systems used in sound mo tion pictures or electro-optical transmission systems to produce a spot of light for scanning.

It is an object of the invention to provide an,

optical system for producing a small area of and variable intensity.

It is a particular object of the invention provide such a system employing a ribbon-type light valve for producing at least part of the light, preferably rectangular, of constant area variation in intensity in the area (either a spot or a line) of light. Thus the advantages of rib bun-type valves namely high intensity, linearity of 'reproductiomand relative freedom f l'omtrou ble with overloading, are gained without the disadvantage of harmonics which are sometimes introduced when the slit image formed on the film isof variable width instead" of purelylvariableintensity.

It is also an object of theinvention to have such a system'which is simple and compact.

The present invention gains all of its advantages by a simple trick which simultaneously does many different things. lens about one or two mm. in diameter is placed very close to and behind the plane of the valve ribbon, so close in fact that the front surface If of the rod acts almost entirely as a field lens at the ribbon and forms near the rear surface of this same rod an image of an aperture stop which is placed between the valve and the light source which illuminates the valve from the front.

A small cylindrical rod Any type of ribbon valve may be used, with either'a single or multiple ribbon system. For

clarity, the terms front, back, horizontal, vertical, etc., are used throughout this specification and claims. However, it is to be understood that these terms do not refer to any absolute orientation and space but are merely relative to one another. When the valve has at least one of its ribbons horizontal, the cylindrical axis of the rod lens is also horizontal. The rear surface of the rod lens acts as a field lens at the image formed by the front surface of the rod lens. Furthermore this rear surface and the front surface to some extent cooperate to form an aerial image of the ribbon, between the rod lens and the image plane in which the spot or line of light is to be formed.

With this trick, the present invention consists of an optical system for forming in an image plane-a small area of light-of variable intensity and including the ribbon valve and the light source in front ofthe valve. The aperture stop referred to between the light source and the valve constitutes means for diaphragming the top and bottom of the light beam and the same stop or another'one somewhere in the system is used for diaphragming the sides of this beam. The cylindrical rod lens is placed immediately behind the plane of the ribbon so that its front surface forms close to its rear surface avertically punctual image. of the top and bottom diaphragming means and the rear surface with slight assistance by the front surface, forms the aerial image of'the ribbons, which is also vertically punctual An objective system is placed at this aerial image preferably including some cylin drical surfaces so that it forms in the image plane a vertically punctual image 30f the rear surface of the rod and. ahorizontally punctual image of the side diaphragming means.

In one species of the invention used for sound recor :1 an additional stop with appropriate field lens scent thereto constitutes the sides diaphragming means and is placed between the rod lens and the objective. Thus the objective system must have greater power in a horizontal plane to give a horizontally punctual imag of this additional diaphragm stop than it has in a vertical plane wherein it forms a vertically punctual image of the rear surface of the'rod lens. Thus the area of light used for sound recording is a long thinllne.

A second species of the invention used for electro-optical scanning has the single aperture stop between the light source and the valve for both the sides diaphragming means and the top and bottom diaphragming means. In this case the objective means includes cylindrical surface! so that it is weaker in the horizontal plane to gform a horizontally punctual image of this diaphragm spot than it is in a. vertical plane to form a vertically punctual image of the rear surface of the rod lens. In this connection it is pointed out that a negative cylinder with its cylindrical axis vertical i equivalent to a positive cylinder with its cylindrical axis horizontal provided that the spherical parts of the objective system have they proper power. Incidentally, in the second species of the invention a weak lens including cylindrical surfaces is spaced adjacent to the aperturestop to form a vertically punctual image of the light source in the plane of the valve ribbon and a horizontally punctual image as of the light source in the objective system.

This invention may be used with either a coiled or ribbon type filament as a light source to form an image on sensitive film. Alternatively it can be used with a glow lamp or other variable intensity light source so that the light source and the ribbon valve constitute light valves in optical tandem as describedin copending ap plication, Serial No. 393,418, filed May 14, 1941, by Vincent C. Hall. Furthermore, instead of scanning a sensitive film, the variable intensity area of light may fall on another light valve or any type such as a ribbon type light valve and then this image may be refocused by a simple objective system onto a. sensitive film. The additional valve in optical tandem with the ribbon type valve may he used for color correction or to square the efiect of the first valve, both of which systems are described in the Hall application just mentioned. Furthermore, it may used in con nectlon with the Hell and Streidert invention described in cop ending application, serial No. dl'wdil filed November ll, 1951.

The preferred embodiment of the invention involves as a sub-combination a method and means for mounting the cylindrical red lens to give at constant magnification independent of the di-- l l e -e where N is the index of refraction of the lens and The front surface of the rod lens i8 acts primarily 4 .as a lens to farm near the rear surface of the Fig. 10 is a detailed sketch of the arrangement shown in Fig. I.

Figs. 1,5, and 6 all relate to the same embodiment of the invention and will be described simultaneously. :In these figures light from a source I!) is focused by a condenser lens ll onto the plane of the ribbons is of a ribbon-type light valve. Any pole pieces or other diaphragming means of the light valve is represented by a plate' l3 having an aperture l4 therein. The top and bottom of the light beam is defined by the top and bottom edges of an aperture in a diaphragm i2 adjacent to the condenser lens II. The sides of the light beam are defined by an aperture 23 in a diaphragm 22 positioned between the light valve and the image plane which in this case is a sensitive film with an area it to receive a sound track.

. According to the invention a small cylindrical red lens 56 is placed immediately behind the rib bons E5 of the light valve with the front focus of the red lens very close to the plane of the ribbons.

same lens a vertically punctual image of the aperture in the diaphragm E2. The rear surface of the rod len it thus acts as a fieldlens at this image and together with the front surface projects a vertically punctual imageof the ribbons 85 into the entrance pupil of an objective system I consisting of a cylindrical lens I8, and an. ordinary high aperture'objective B9. A cylindrical 7 lens l! is also positioned adjacent to the dia- "ill is the macatlon. Thus with a lens made of glass having an index of if a magnification of 10 requires the angle A to he '74 degrees, 36' minutes; a n1. cation of loll requires the angle to be 82 degrees, 36 minutes, and ior collimated light the angle should be 83 degrees, 36 minutes.

In actual practice, these surfaces are provided,

Other Objects and advantages of the invention will be understood irom the following description when read inconnection with the accomsaw. I *1 drawings in Whifihi Fig. l is a perspective view of an embodiment of the invention used for sound recording.

Fig. 2 is a vertical cross section illustrating the preferred method of mounting the cylindrical rod lens.

Fig. 3 shows an alternative method of mounting the rod lens.

F18. 4 is a trigonometrical sketch corresponding to Fig. 2.

. Figs. 5 and 6 are respectively vertical and horizontal cross sections or the arrangement shown in Fig.1. 7

Fig. 7 is a. modification of Fig. 6 when the system is used ior electro-optical scanning.

phragm 22 to act as a. field lens at this diaphragm.

The power of theobjective system consisting of lenses i8 and 'l 9 is such that it focuses a vertically punctual image of the image of 52 as formed near the front surface of the lens l5 onto the film 2' and a horizontally punctual imageof the diephragm 22 onto this film 20.

Thus on the film 20 there is an area of light in the funnel a slit of constant dimensions but variable intensity. The top and bottom of the slit are defined by the vtop and bottom edges of the aperture in the diaphragm l2 and the ends of this slit image are defined by the edges of the aperture 23 in the diaphragm 22. v

Fig. 2 illustrates the preferred method of mounting the cylindrical lens II. In this Fig. 2

the magnets of the light valve are represented by 25 having pole pieces 28 and non-ferrous spacers 21 to hold the pole pieces in accurate adjust- 'ment. The ribbons 28 of the light valve are positioned between the pole pieces and a cylindrical rod lens 29 is mounted immediately adjacent "2%,, The lens "is placed in contactwith these Figs. 8 and 9 are respectively vertical and horizontal cross sections of an embodiment slightly different from that shown in Fig. 7.

the pole pieces are manufactured primarily for the present invention rather than by conversion of standard valves, I prefer to have them in the form shown in Fig. 3.

However, Fig. 3 is mainly to illustrate an embodiment wherein the cylindrical rod lens 361s mounted for manual adjustment rather than to. give automatically constant magnification for all diameters of lens. The only advantage of this system shown in Fig. 3 occurs mainly in experimental work wherein it is difficult to secure proper spacing of the ribbons 28 from the pole pieces and thus to insure that the line of intersection of the planes in which the surfaces 30 lie is accurately coplanar with the ribbons. Thus in Fig. 3 the surfaces are not employed for aligning the lens 36. The lens is supported at its ends by clamps consisting of spring members 31 'and 38 and adjustment of this lens is provided by machine screws 39 and 40 hearing on each of the springs 37. These machine screws are threaded into.

tappings in the mount or magnet as shown.

Fig. 4 illustrates why the arrangement shown in Fig. 2 gives constant magnification independent of the diameter of the rod lens. In this figure,

A is the axial point on the line of intersection of the surfaces 30 and is coplanar with the ribbons 28. These surfaces intersect at an angle 2 The cylindrical lens 29 is pressed into the pole pieces'until the surface of the rod lens makes a line contact represented by the pointJ with each of the control surfaces and the center of the lens falls at the point D. The lens surface intersects the optic axis at the points C and E. The front focus of the lens is represented by the point B, the rear focus by the point G and the point conjugate to the point A by H. Since a cylindrical rod lens is symmetrical, the principal planes coincide and pass through the center D. Thus BD equals DG equals the focal length F of the lens. By the simple and well known formula,

wherein R1 and R2 are the surface radii and S the separation of the surfaces, one gets where M is themagniflcatiom- From the, figure sin T= R AD AB+F F Thus the magnification depends only on T and N and is independent of the radius R of the lens. This is particularly valuable because of the difficulty of accurately forming thin rod lenses.

When it is desired to use the optical system according to' the invention for electro-optical scanning, the small area of light should preferably be square rather than in the form of a slit of light. Figs. '7 to 10 illustrate a system for giving such asquare spot of light. In Fig. q the diaphragm I2 acts both to diaphragm the top and bottom of the beam and to diaphragm the sides of the beam. Fig. 5 may be considered as the horizontal view of this Fig. '7 since the cylindrical lenses shown in both figures have no effect on the light in the vertical plane shown in Fig. 5. Thus the objective I9 focuses a vertically punctual image of an image of I2 formed by the cylindrical rod lens [6 close to its back surface. A negative cylindrical lens 42 immediately in front of the objective l9 and forming part of the objective system weakens the power of this system in the horizontal plane so that the system forms a horizontally punctual image of the sides of the aperture in the diaphragm 12. Thus the horizontal width of the spot equals the width of the aperture in the diaphragm l2 multiplied by the magnification of the objective system comprising lenses 42 and IS. The height of this spot equals the height of the aperture in the diaphragm'l2 multiplied both by the magnification of the front surface ofthe lens l6 and the magnification of the objective l9 as shown in Fig. 5.

With the arrangement shown in detail in- Fig.'10,

the aperture in the diaphragm 52 which correv sponds to the diaphragm I2 should be 9.40 mm. high and 1.00 mm. wide in order to give a square spot.

Since the lens has been omittedfrom Fig.7. and since the condenser consisting of lenses H focuses the objective l0 in the plane of the ribbons, there would be a tendency to refocus this imagein the film 40 by the objective i9 and the lens 42 which image is horizontally punctual.

\ This is due to the fact that-the depth of focus of .the objective system, when focused on diaphragm i2 extends almost .to include the diaphragm l3 wherein the image is formed. For' this reason and for increased efllciency, a'negative cylindrical lens 4| is positioned adjacent to the condenser l I to weaken its power in the horizontal plane so that it projects a horizontally punctual image of the filament l0 into entrance I pupil of the objective system consisting of lenses 1 l9 and 42. Thus both systems have a horizontally punctual image of the filament in the obj'ective system and a vertically punctual image of the filament in thevalve ribbons. Although the arrangement shown in Fig. 7 has a coil filament ill for the light sourceand a sensitive film 40 at theimage plane, I also employ this system electric-optical color correction described the copending applications mentioned above,- -I wherein the light source is a glow lamp andthe spot of light impinges on a thirdiight valve" which in one case is placed in electrical series with the light valve ribbons i5 and in another case is used for separate type of correction. thatis,'for a separate type of light modulation.

Figs. 8 and 9 Show an equivalent system in which the 'negative cylindrical lenses 4| and 42 are replaced by positive cylindrical lenses 46 and 41 with their cylindrical axes horizontal. In this arrangement, the lenses 45 constituting a condenser are weaker than the lenses ii since the r lens cooperates with the lenses 45 to term the vertically punctual image of the filament. it in the plane of the ribbons i8 whereas the lenses Al alone merely form a horizontally punctual image of this filament in the objective system form a vertically punctual imageloi the image of 12 as formed near the back-surface oi the.

lens lfiwhereas the objective i9 as shown in Fig; performs this function entirely alone. The

punctual image of the sides diaphragming means.

2. An optical system according to claim 1 in which a single diaphragm between the illuminating means and the valve constitutes both diaphragming means and a partly cylindrical fleld lens is positioned near the diaphragm for iorming a vertically punctual image of the illuminating means near the ribbon and a horizontally punclens 48 merely has suflicient power to form a horizontally punctualimage of the diaphragm I:

in the image plane. i

One specific embodiment oi the invention is shown in Fig. 10 in which the source-oi iiiumi-- nation is represented by the circle 50. the diaphragm of the system by the lines 52, the plane oi the ribbons by'the lines 53 and the image plane by the line 59. In this specific embodiment, the

Lens i Badii 'Thicknesses 7 ND V Si-tlH mm 1. 516 64 Rl"""'7.0 X cylinder" l1=2.0

- Ra in 53- 1.9 1. 617 36 .5 1. 515

. El -36.1... S4=23 7 Ro== on X- +1.0 cylinden. 85-5 1. 51 66 Rio Q X +1.0 oylinden =20 Rn -3. Sc=135 1. 51 56 Ripe-H.033 X as oyl- 11 2.0

' inder. VIII .1.617 37 IX 1.516 64 x 1.611 51 x1 1. 617 so XII 1.017 as XIII 1. 611 57 Having thusdescribed various embodiments of my invention, 1 wish to point out that it is not limited to these structures but is of the scope of the appended claims.

. What I claim and desireto secure by Letters Patent 0! the United States is:

1. An optical system for forming in an image plane a small area of light 0! variable intensity comprising a ribbon light valve mounted in frontof the image plane with at least one ribbon horizontal for vertical movement, means for lllumihating thevalve from the front, means between the illuminating means-and the valve for diephragming the top and bottom of the light beam, means for dlaphragming the sides or the light beam, a cylindrical red lens oi small diameter positioned with its cylindrical axis horizontal and with its front focus close behind the ribbon, the

trout surface of the rod focusing near the rear l v i magnification or the rod tuai imageoi the illuminating means near the objective means.

- 3. An. optical system according to claim 1 in which 'a field lens is included for forming an image of the illuminating means near the ribbon,

the sides diaphragming means is between the rod and the objective means and a cylindrical field lens is included for focusing a horizontally punctual image at the ribbon in the objective means.

4.. An optical system according to claim 1 in which-the rod lens is so near the ribbon that its vertical diameter subtends at the ribbon an angle greater than 66. v

' 5. An optical system according to claim 1 in which the light valve includes pole piecesbehind the ribbon and respectively above and below the optic axis of the system, the paraitial portion of the rear surfaces of said pole pieces are flat and in planeswhich intersect in a horizontal line coplanar with the ribbon and the -rod lens is in contact with said portions whereby the vertical its diameter. r 6. An optical system according to claim 1 in which the light valve includes pole pieces behind the ribbon and respectively above and below the 3 optic axis of the system, the paraxial portion oi the rear surfaces of said pole pieces are flat and K in planes which intersect in a horizontal line coits diameter, said planes intersecting at an angl A containing the rod lens where sin ilm- 1 where N is the index of refraction of the rod lens and M is said magnification. Y

7. An optical system according to claim 1 in which the light valve includes pole pieces behind the ribbon andrespectively above and below the optic axis of the system, the paraxial portion of the rear surfaces of said pole pieces are flat and in planes which intersect in a horizontal line co-' planar with the ribbon and the rod lens is in contact with saidportlons whereby the vertical magnification of the rod lens is independent of its diameter, the index or refraction of the rod lens being about 1.5 and said planes intersecting at an angle between and whereby said magnification is great. 7

8. An optical element for use with a ribbon type light valve having at least one horizontal ribbon comprising mounting means adjacent to the ribban and including two surfaces which are flat and inplanes intersecting in a horizontal line coplanar with the ribbon and a thin cylindrical rod lens with its cylindrical axis horizontal and its surface in line contact with each of said flat surfaces, the angle at which said planes intersect being greater than 75.

lens is independent of v I a,aa4,o7e .5 9. Anoptical element for use witharibbontype atwhich said planes intersect being such that lightvalve having at least one horizontal ribbon 1 l .omprisins mounting me s adiacentto the rib- A (1 bon and including two surfaces which are flat sin -2 and in planes intersecting in a horizontal line co- 5 .1

planar with the ribbon and a thin cylindricalrod l n w th it lindri l i horizontal and t where N isthe index of refraction of the rod lens surface in line contact with each of said flat surand M is said magnification. I faces, whereby the vertical magnification by the a I j f rod lens is independent of itsradius, the angle A '10 I GOLDBERG. 

